'Militant students' face expulsion: Education Ministry
Mahadzir Mohd Khir, who is also Barisan Nasional member of parliament for Sungai Petani, Kedah, warned students involved in such activities to be prepared for expulsion.
He added that the Universities and University Colleges Act (1971) was not meant to curb healthy student activities in campus but the Act was meant as a "governance of the universities".
"Nor will the UUCA be used to suppress students from voicing out their opinions through the proper channel," he told MPs after the adjourning speech presented by Ronald Kiandee, BN MP for Beluran, Sabah, on the issue of militant trends in campus.
"The opposition should not blow the issue out of proportion by saying that the Act was meant to oppress the students," Mahadzir said, adding that the Act is appropriate as a form of regulating student activities in campus.
Monitor political activities
In his speech, Kiandee referred to the recent burning down of Universiti Malaya's historic Dewan Tunku Cancelor and Universiti Putra Malaysia's computer lab, and the distribution of a fake, anti-government edition of the Universiti Malaya student council magazine Varsiti 2001, as increasing militant trends in campus.
"Media reports indicate that there may be a group of students studying in the universities concerned," he said, adding that the reports were alarming.
"If this is the reality, it does not only show that there are students who are not disciplined but that they also have militant tendencies," he said.
Kiandee urged the Education Ministry to investigate and monitor the root cause of such trends and review the effectiveness of the country's education system.
He suggested that if these 'militant' students were linked to the opposition, the government should not hesitate to take stern action against the parties concerned.
He also pressed the Education Ministry to monitor if student movements in Indonesia had influenced local student activities or if such influences were disguised in religious ceramahs.
"We must closely monitor political activities and ceramahs by the opposition," he said, adding that certain staff who showed anti-government activities must also be monitored.
"Do not look upon these happenings (DTC and computer lab fires) as isolated cases for it is evident that there is an increase of militant trends in campuses," he added.
Circulars issued
In reply, Mahadzir said causes of the fires in the two campuses are still being investigated by the police and Fire and Rescue Department.
As for monitoring students, he said the student affairs departments in all universities have been mandated to facilitate student programmes and ensure the safety and security of students.
He added that various programmes and dialogues have been conducted to enhance the relationship between students and the university administration.
"We have upgraded security in campuses and are keeping tabs on those who are going in and out of the premises, especially at nights," he said.
"We have also issued circulars to students and academic staff not to be involved in anti-government activities," he added.
He stressed that all these measures are not to curb students' freedom as alleged by the opposition.
Mahadzir also said that academic staff have been informed to separate their duties and responsibilities from partisan politics.
"We have continuously urged them to utilise their wisdom because they are supposed to be intellectuals who must act professionally to ensure institutes of higher learning always maintain their standards and not end up as a battlefield for partisan politics," he said.
